


Ob(li)vious

by Katie_Madison



Category: Free!
Genre: Angel Tachibana Makoto, Crack Treated Seriously, Fluff, Humor, M/M, Makoto is a Sweetheart, Makoto-centric, SO MUCH FLUFF, University
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-17
Updated: 2019-04-26
Packaged: 2019-08-17 09:01:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 4,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16513316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katie_Madison/pseuds/Katie_Madison
Summary: The truth is that Makoto has always been an attractive man; the kind who consistently received lustful looks from both women and men alike. Ever since his early high school years - or honestly, even his late middle school ones.Somehow, Makoto himself never seemed to notice any of these looks; but everyone else sure did...





	1. Rei's Big Question

**Author's Note:**

> I am so excited to be writing my first Free! story and sharing it with you all today. It's a rather short chapter for now, but I hope that you enjoy it, and will come back for more in the future! Happy reading~

The truth is that Makoto has  _always_ been an attractive man; the kind who consistently received lustful looks from both women and men alike. Ever since his early high school years - or honestly, even his late middle school ones.

Somehow, Makoto himself never seemed to notice any of these looks; but everyone else sure did...

Especially Nagisa, who came to make it a bit of a game to tug on Haru’s uniform sleeve, and whisper about the latest person checking out their gently-smiling, backstroke-swimming, obliviously-hot best friend.

“The girl at six o’clock sure is _not_ being subtle at all, huh?” Nagisa would say, winking his bright red eyes at Makoto's admirer of the day, “You have to buy me a Iwatobi cream bread if she approaches us, okay?”

To which Haru would roll his eyes, but nonetheless agree...

 _However_ , Makoto's admirers never ended up approaching him. Not even once. 

So... Good for Haru, right? Nagisa should have been going home empty-handed, right?

Please.

“But don’t you think she was _so_ cute?” Nagisa would coo, wrapping his arms around himself, and practically radiating sparkly hearts in his excitement, “ _I_ think that Mako-chan would be _really_ happy if he knew that such a cute girl liked him! I heard that that girl, Kanna-chan, even wants to be an idol in Tokyo~”

This was _Nagisa_ after all. 

And so, whenever the tiny blond  ~~threatened~~ _said_ anything like that (which was always; that devious little terrorist) Haru would always end up buying him the cream bread; ~~to buy his silence on the matter, so that Makoto never learned of his popularity~~ _so that he would stop bothering Haru with his annoying commentary._

And so, this... 'arrangement' worked well for a few years.

Eventually though; it no longer did. Because Rei, bless his heart, was just a _little_  naïve.

“Nagisa-kun, why do you always make a bet with Haruka-senpai to buy you bread if one of Makoto-senpai’s admirers come approach him; when you _must_ know by now that they never do?” Rei had finally asked one day; when Makoto was off signing forms for them to buy more pool cleaner, and the rest of them were waiting for him in the club room, “And Haruka-senpai, why do you always buy him the bread _anyways_ as soon as he starts talking about telling Makoto about his ever-growing list of admirers?”

Nagisa couldn't help but laugh as Haru choked on his beloved salted mackerel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> お誕生日おめでとうございます、橘真琴君！
> 
> Happy Birthday to everyone's favorite killer whale with a killer smile, Makoto!
> 
> I hope that you liked this sweet and short prologue; I am eagerly anticipating writing more chapters in this work, and for the Free! fandom as a whole! If you would like to support; consider leaving me a kudos, subscribing, providing a bookmark - or commenting!
> 
> Take care! ♡


	2. Captains

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please enjoy some implied!ReiNagisa along with MakoHaru in this fluffy chapter! 
> 
> (I really like to start stories by writing side characters/side ships talking about a story's main ship for added fun. Hope you don't mind!)

"Hm, that’s a great question, Rei-chan!” Nagisa said seriously, placing his left hand on his hip and his right hand under his chin; the picture-perfect-pose of serious contemplation, “Maybe it’s because Haru-chan doesn’t want Mako-chan to get a big head if he figures out that everyone wants to suck _his_ creamy filling _even_ more than the delicious fillings of Iwatobi Cream Bread on Super Special Sale Sundays!”

Rei blushed hard enough to fog up the lenses of his glasses, and Haru started coughing on the water that he had been drinking to help his previous bout of choking. 

“Could... Could anyone really believe that Makoto-senpai would be the sort of person who got a big head over something like that?!” Rei finally managed to squeak out, decidedly not looking into Haru or Nagisa's eyes.

Haru shook his head; also looking more at the leftover mackerel in his bento box than at any human being. “Don’t believe everything Nagisa says, Rei…” he advised in a quiet voice, “Nobody who knew Makoto could think that he was that kind of person…”

Nagisa giggled and threw his hands up in the air. “That's probably true! Especially if they saw the kind of shy and gentle Mako-chan that emerges when Mako-chan is around Haru-chan!” Nagisa declared with a wink.

Haru suddenly shot up onto shaky feet, “I’m going to the... washroom...” he called behind him, already flying out the door.

.

(Well, flying would be an exaggeration; he wasn't actually all that fast... But it was the intention that counted.)

Nagisa waved at his retreating back with a energetic wave, but then abruptly dropped his hands into his lap; turning serious red eyes towards Rei (who ‘meep’ed just a little in shock at Nagisa's shift in demeanor).

“The truth is that Mako-chan has been an ikemen since we were in middle school; and everyone and their mother wanted to gnaw on his trapezius muscles like they were carved out of white chocolate,” Nagisa admitted in rapid-fire delivery, simultaneously advancing upon Rei and sidling right into his lap.

Rei meeped again.

“But the thing is, right? Once anyone with half a brain cell watches Mako-chan when he’s in Haru-chan’s company, they realize that he is really just a giant, handsome goofball who is madly in shoujo-sparkles-innocent love with his tsuntsun of a childhood best friend; who pretends not to love him back, but sends _very intense dolphin glares_ at anyone unfortunate enough to circle too close to his precious Makoto.”

Rei almost meeped again for the third time, but then soberly straightened himself out, and adjusted his glasses frames; seamlessly turning into Inspector Ryugazaki ©

“I understand now!" he declared, "So if Makoto-senpai were to know that he were really popular at first appearances, but that everyone shrank away from him after observing him with Haruka-senpai-”

“-then he would have to content with the fact that he looks so love-sick with Haru-chan that everyone  thinks that he is unavailable because he's already in love-”

“-or realize that Haruka-senpai is scaring them away with his protective glaring because he is in love with him too!”

They high-fived each other with a satisfying whack; before hearing the voices of Haru and Makoto talking outside, growing louder and louder.

Rolling his eyes, Nagisa leisurely unwrapped his latest Iwatobi Cream Bread and took a nice big bite out of the head. “Our captains really are hopeless, huh?” he said, giggling under his breathe.

Rei reluctantly shrugged in agreement. He felt bad about bad-mouthing their senpais, but really; if Rei and Nagisa were right, this was too much...

Nagisa looked at him, and smiled a wolfish grin, “Since I don’t think being tsun suits either of us, when we become the captains, let’s just be a regular couple, okay?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you are enjoying this work, please consider leaving a comment, kudos, subscribing, or bookmarking this story~ 
> 
> Take care until next time. ♡


	3. Suspicious

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's the New Year! And what better way to welcome 2019 than with some fluffy Free! boys?

“Sorry that I’m so late! I was trying to get the signatures that we needed, but for some reason the principal wanted to see photos of us at our latest swim competitions? I… don’t really know why…” Makoto explained, scratching the side of his nose after stripping down for practice, “And since I didn’t have any photos on hand, she wanted to know if I had any other proof of the swimming club’s athletic ability… Uhm. And w-well she kind of ended up touching my arms to, I guess, make sure they were like a swimmer’s…?”

Oh God.

“Or something? It kind of tickled!… I sure hope I can get some photos soon so I don’t have to take my shirt off in front of her again; it’s embarrassing!”

Nagisa gasped and held his face in his hands, while Haru narrowed his eyes at Makoto; who was (as usual) smiling his self-deprecating smile with no clue as to why Nagisa was gasping, or why Haru was suddenly annoyed.

Meanwhile, Rei hurriedly tried to find physical copies of the images Gou had been taken of them at their last meet.

“Let me find some photos for you then! Wouldn’t want you to… uhm, be embarrassed?!” Rei responded in a slightly higher-than-usual voice, getting anxious as he looked over Makoto’s shoulder at Haru’s jealous expression; his face subtly morphing into one of dangerously possessive envy.

But then, Rei felt his heart drop; remembering that Gou had said that she wanted to get the images processed into the highest resolution possible; to ‘preserve authentic muscle tone,’ and had taken them home.

Suddenly Makoto put a hand on Rei’s schlumped shoulder; startling him out of his worries ( ~~namely, that he and Nagisa would be forced to bury their principal’s body once Haru had slaughtered it).~~

“Don’t worry, Rei. I think we thought of the same thing! Asking Kou for some of the photos she takes, right? I told the principal that our manager would definitely have some photos, and that she would provide copies once she came back from her vacation with Rin,” Makoto said with a kind smile, “So no worries!”

Rei sighed in relief. Makoto’s words appeared to have been said just in time too; judging by how low Haru’s eyebrows were drawn over his narrowed blue eyes. (Nagisa’s descriptions were correct. Haru had some ‘very intense dolphin glares,’ indeed.) Still, he was grateful that murder was (at least temporarily) off the table.

The four of them headed to the pool; Nagisa going on about the new study techniques that Rei was teaching him for their upcoming kanji test, while Rei himself was busy extoling the beauty of radicals; especially when they were assembled into characters block-by-painstaking-block by the truly beautiful calligraphers of Hokkaido!

Makoto graciously humoured his kouhais’ ramblings until Haru ended their conversation by hurriedly diving into the pool in a dramatically messy way; splashing water on the other three swim club members.

Rei sighed, Nagisa pouted, and Makoto shrugged; but their captain couldn’t stop his smile as Haru’s lithe form glided through the water.

“It’s not your fault,” he said, “He’s just eager because it’s the first day of the pool re-opening. I’m sure that _nothing_ could distract Haru from swimming today!”

Nagisa and Rei exchanged looks; thinking back to how ‘distracted from swimming’ and ‘focused on murder’ Haru had _just_ been…

“I’m going in too!” Makoto giggled, right before he too dived into the water; his more rough form causing a little bit of a splash - but nothing compared to Haru’s earlier, out-of-character dive-

Which was _Very_ Suspicious…

Nagisa settled into his thinking pose; hip jutted out to the side, finger tapping rapidly against his lip, eyes closed, until he suddenly blurted out, “As expected of Haru-chan! Usually he’s the cleanest diver, but today he purposefully dove into the water in a messy way to passive-aggressively express how unhappy he was at Mako-chan’s after school molestation!”

Rei would have sighed if he wasn’t aware of the fact that he had already sighed just a few minutes ago, and would develop some very not-beautiful frown-lines at this rate.

So instead, he just laughed; and Nagisa did too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all of your comments, kudos, bookmarks, and subscriptions~ I really appreciate them! Please be sure to follow for more updates, give kudos if you enjoyed, and give me your thoughts, feedback, or criticisms! 
> 
> Take care in the new year!


	4. M.A.C.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope that this cold January has been going very well for all of you. I thought for sure I would get a snow day, but I had to go to both class & work. However, I did find the time get this chapter ready for publication to combat the coldness of my environment with the fluffy warmth of Free!! 
> 
> Please enjoy :)

Tomorrow was the day that Rin and Gou were returning from their vacation with their mother to the countryside, so Makoto texted Gou to bring the photos into school when she came in. The next morning, carrying a binder full of  professional-looking, high-definition prints of the photos she had taken over the past two years (while giggling half-maniacally); Gou had waved at them, before speeding upstairs to deliver the photos to the principal.

“As expected of Gou-san! She’s so diligent about managing us!” Rei said, “Those photos are perhaps a little... zoomed in? for my preference, but the quality is exceptional.”

Makoto smiled bright. “She really is responsible! I overheard her by the gates talking about how this would be a good opportunity to start expanding membership of the club? I mean, I don’t really understand how she could use meeting the principal to recruit more members for swim club, but I think that her motivation is really great!... Actually, if you have a minute, come to my locker, Rei! I have something that Gou and I were thinking about implementing for the club next year…”

As Rei nodded and allowed himself to be led away by Makoto, Nagisa leaned back and cupped his hand around Haru’s ear, “I’m assuming she actually meant recruiting the principal as a member of the Makoto Appreciation Club”

Haru gave a curt nod. “Although she’s more faithful to the Association of Rin Devotees as its President, she does run the ‘Makoto’s Muscley Monday’ feature on M.A.C’s club website, so it’s a possibility… If so, I hope she’s successful. After all, our constitution bans members from touching Makoto; so if our harlot of a principal agrees, then she’ll have to stop laying her _impure_ hands on him...”

Nagisa worked hard to suppress a laugh at both ‘harlot’ and ‘impure’ used unironically in the 21st century as Haru looked over at Makoto leaning against his locker (with a decidedly ‘impure’ expression clouding his blue eyes).

“But you know, Haru-chan,” Nagisa started in a soft voice, startling Haru out of his staring, “I think that you should write a caveat in the M.A.C. constitution.”

Haru narrowed his eyes at the blond, “You’re saying some pretty advanced things for someone who was supposedly near-failing his Law class last semester,” he said, but Nagisa deflected by cutely sticking his tongue out and tapping his forehead with a closed hand.

“I’m serious, Haru-chan!” he re-insisted, “You have to write a caveat stating that no members may touch Makoto, _unless_ they are dating him!”

(Here, Haru narrowed his eyes into a perfect dolphin glare to express his intense displeasure at Nagisa’s statement, but the breaststroke swimmer used his charmingly sparkly penguin adorableness to neutralize it.)

“Well, it’s either that,” Nagisa continued, unperturbed, “Or _you_ have to quit the club when you finally start going out with Makoto...”

Haru blushed pink, and in an uncharacteristic outburst exclaimed, “I would never quit the Makoto Appreciation Club!”

“Well, it’s always good to see Haru fired up over something, _anything_ – but I can’t help but wonder if this is necessary at all,” called a familiar voice, rounding the corner wearing a grin.

“Rin, I’m not… fired up…” Haru said, looking at the newcomer for a second, but then immediately turning away in embarrassment (still blushing). Nagisa, instead, ran up to him and pulled him closer by his white uniform sleeve.

“Riiiiight,” Rin said, rolling his eyes and slinging an arm around both Nagisa and Haru’s shoulders, “We’re still doing the thing where we pretend that Haru’s _not_ head-over-heals in love with Makoto…”

“You bet!” Nagisa giggled.

“Ahhh. That’s just like you, Haru – but I do think you’d be happier facing up to yourself-”

“-I don’t want to hear that from _you_ of all peo-”

“-and just confessing, because a) he has liked you for forever, and b) a lot more eyes are going to be on Makoto very soon, and c)-”

“Wait!” Nagisa interrupted, “Why will more eyes be on Mako-chan very soon?”

Rin just grinned, “Well we’re all going off the university, right? So there’ll be a whole new cohort of people hunting for boyfriends and girlfriends; and more aggressively than in high school… And Haru, you’re not going to go to the same school as Makoto, right?  But your glaring has been what was keeping everyone away till now, _while_ making it obvious that he’s madly in love with you - since Makoto basically grows angel wings when he’s with you - But when he’s alone, what’s going to stop those pretty girls and ikemen from circling him?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading thus far! I'd be thrilled if you enjoyed it - please stay tuned for more! If you would like, I'd really appreciate feedback with your thoughts, a simple kudos, subscription or bookmark too!
> 
> Take care until next time!


	5. Hidaka to Mejio Chuo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What can I say? This chapter contains more fluffy shenanigans about the Free!! boys; now featuring some latent SouRin, and a popular Rei to complement Iwatobi-Idol-Status!Makoto. In my honest opinion, ALL the free boys are definitely popular in their own right.
> 
> Though Makoto is, of course, angelic ♡ ~ 
> 
> As well, this will be the last chapter covering the boys in a high school setting! Next chapter, we move to university! (And we see the rise of Megane!Makoto ☆)
> 
> Please look forward to it!!!

Haru frowned and Nagisa gasped aloud, “As excepted of Rin-chan! You really know all the trials and tribulations of young ikemen out alone in the big city!”

Rin flushed a little at that and elbowed Nagisa, but otherwise kept his composure.

“All I know,” he said, aiming for a calm and neutral tone, but utterly failing to hide his true feelings, “Is that when Sousuke went to Tokyo for high school he ended up taking a part-time modelling gig to help pay for the stupidly high cost of living, and some of the other models that he worked with were university students. They, well… they hit on him. A lot. Some of them even tried to give him alcohol and stuff even though they knew that he was underaged… Sousuke is super hot, of course, and I can imagine why people would want to make him their boyfriend, but he also looks intimidating as hell, and can be hard to approach, which made me surprised that so many people _still_ tried to approach him… Wait, a second, I have a list, I’ll show you.”

At that, Rin pulled out his cellphone (newly upgraded to a smartphone) and searched through his emails until he found one from Gou that had been flagged, and titled, “HITLIST!” containing the mini-biographies and images of dozens of people.

Nagisa gave an approving nod and complimented Gou for her ‘diligence in efficient premeditated murder,’ and Haru rolled his eyes like he hadn’t just been ready to kill their principal for simply touching Makoto not twenty-four hours ago.

“Anyways… Although Makoto is maybe a little less hot than Sousuke-”

(Here, Haru scoffed at Rin and shook his head. Sure, the vending machine kabedon that Sousuke had pulled earlier on in the year would probably make the average person’s heart go ‘dokidoki’ until they passed out, but Haru was too tsun for such stereotypical, shoujo manga tactics to work on him. Makoto’s brand of sincerity and sweet warmth clearly made for the more nuanced and pure hotness.)

“-he’s also way more approachable and gullible looking, and I think that that brand of cuteness would definitely make him more prone to being asked out… He’s also way worse than Sousuke at saying ‘No,’ too, so that could also be a problem…”

As Rin trailed off, the three of them looked up to see Rei and Makoto return from the meeting that they had been having by Makoto’s locker. On their way, the two boys were stopped by a group of people – predominantly girls, but a few guys as well.

A few of them flocked to Rei, and waved notebooks in front of him, seemingly asking for his help to do their homework. Rei adjusted his glasses a few times, but apparently firmly declined them, instead writing out something on a piece of paper, and instructing them to copy that down instead. Defeated, they copied down whatever he had written (Haru guessed a tutoring website, Rin guessed the right answer to a question, and Nagisa guessed his three sizes until Rin told him to keep it in his pants.  He then switched his answer to a link to a dropbox that Rei compiled each year for upcoming midterms).

Eventually, everyone in Rei's crowd dejectedly walked away, prompting Nagisa to cup his hands around his chin and coo about how well he had trained Rei-chan to be his (and then Rin to tell him to cool down with his yandere tendencies).

Haru, however, was far more focused on what was happening with Makoto and the larger group of people who had congregated around him. He recognized two of the girls from being part of the Makoto Appreciation Club; the girls were discretely taking pictures, but keeping a respectful distance away – and Haru could not help his momentary delight at the thought that tonight there would be more Makoto pictures for him to ~~use to~~ _look at in a wholesome way._ Unfortunately, most of the group was unbounded by M.A.C.'s codes of conduct, and decided to boldly lay their hands on his shoulders, or encircle one of Makoto’s larger, muscular arms in their frailer ones (although one such admirer looked about 170 centimetres and like he might have done tennis or something). Makoto’s group didn’t appear to be carrying any ‘props’ like notebooks, but Haru was certain that they were talking to him about the upcoming cultural festival, or something about swimming (that they had probably Googled - _posers_ ).

Haru shifted his stance and began glaring so furiously at Makoto’s group that eventually some of them felt the weight of his stare and backed off, tugging on the sleeves of their friends. Soon, everyone seemed to have made some excuse or another and were hurriedly running off, some of the braver ones turning around to stick their tongue out at Haru.

“See. That’s what I’m talking about,” Rin said, speaking in lower tones now that Makoto and Rei had noticed them, and begun heading over, “It’s a nifty trick, Haru, but how long is the range on your... Staring?”

“It’s 92 feet,” Nagisa answered mildly, “Enough to dissuade people from looking at Makoto swim through classroom windows or from the roof, but not quite enough to stop the people who climb trees in the park nearby to get a look... Definitely won't stretch from Hidaka to Meijio-Chuo.”

Rin just facepalmed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (=^-ω-^=) this story is such a wild ride. I hope you're having a good time reading this ridiculous chapter in a ridiculous story! Believe it or not, I do actually have an ending planned! 
> 
> If you enjoyed in anyway, please consider leaving me a kudos, bookmark, or subscription - or maybe even a comment. Please tell me your feelings about Megane!Makoto, LOL. 
> 
> As always, take care until next time!


	6. Megane Makoto

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for the delay in posting this! It's currently the last stretch of exams for me this month and I have been utterly swamped. However, please look forward to a faster update frequency in May and the months to come! ♡
> 
> There's some Megane Makoto, as promised~ poor Haru-chan can't handle it. ヽ(´▽｀)/
> 
> Please enjoy~

And suddenly, before any of them even realized it, the year came to a resounding close, with a fantastic showing for both Samezuka Gakuen and Iwatobi High.

And then even more suddenly, Rin, Haru, and Makoto were heading to university.

At first, everyone expected Nagisa to cry his big, bulbous cartoon tears at the graduation party they held, but he was actually able to keep things together quite well. He anticipated being able to have a lot of fun over the year by unexpectedly dropping in on Haru and Makoto in Tokyo, and knew that Rin couldn’t stay away from his favourite ladies (Gou-chan and his mom) or his friends for very long either. Not to mention how the redhead seemed to be hanging on tenderhooks waiting for the outcome of Sousuke’s surgery in the fall. No matter how tsun he tried to play it, Nagisa knew Rin would be here for that. Moreover, Nagisa had older sisters, and had always been the younger one in his friend group; meaning he was used to watching his friends move forward in their lives, no matter how much it hurt him.

Rei, on the other hand, was a very ugly crier, and found himself shakily burying his face into Nagisa’s sandy hair, on nights where the two of them met up to study or hang out after their friends had gone.

“It’s okay Rei-chan,” Nagisa comforted him, “We’ll see them soon… By the way, have you signed up for M.A.C.? Managing that is basically all Haru does in his free time when he’s not taking a bath, angsting over his future, and having tsun-tsun competitions with Rin-chan and Iku-chan, so you should definitely sign up to stay in better contact!”

Rei confusedly wiped his eyes, “...M.A.C.? What’s that? And who’s Iku-chan?”

Nagisa slyly grinned before grabbing his laptop and depositing himself in Rei’s lap for a long night of browsing through Makoto pictures and catching his boyfriend up with all of the middle school gossip he missed out on.

* * *

Across a few hundred miles, in an offensively bright theatre lecture hall of Meijo Chuo University sat Makoto Tachibana, attending his night class on the Psychology of Competition, and sighing heavily.

The class was not inherently difficult, or anything like that, but a lot of what his professor was taking about was...  _weirdly_ applicable to his own life, and the stresses that he saw Rin and Haru, and even Sousuke and Nao-senpai put themselves under in pursuing athletics on a higher level.

As the lecture ended and the students filed out of the theatre, Makoto took it upon himself to walk to the podium and introduce to himself to his professor, and ask her a few more questions about her personal experience in helping athletes cope with their stresses in a clinincal setting.

He felt himself stumble a little at using a higher level of keigo than he had ever used before - his mind absently recalling his time in middle school when Haru kept randomly adding ‘-desu’ after he used casual form with all of their senpais – but also feeling like he had… leveled up a bit when his professor eagerly nodded back. She was more than happy to provide Makoto with some article titles, and an open invitation to stop by her office, or the clinic of her partner who specialized in basketball-related injuries and therapies.

Just as he and his professor parted at the classroom door, Makoto got a text from Haru.

“ _Made too much of the miso-mackarel fried rice that I taught you how to make that time for Ran and Ren. Come home and help me eat it... Also, you were really looking forward to your first lecture for this course, right? So, how was it?_ ”

Makoto felt a wide smile envelope his face; what a great night this was shaping up to be! He switched directions, heading to another train platform, taking the line leading to Haru’s apartment. His angelic expression was enticing enough to grab several people’s attention, and prompt a few brave men and women to invite him out for karaoke or dinner afterwards.

Makoto declined them all gently but firmly, distracted and eager to get to Haru’s place quickly.

He hopped off the train and raced down the street, several people snapping photos of him and asking each other if there was a movie filming happening nearby to explain why such a handsome ikemen was sprinting down the sidewalk on a Tuesday night. With his bag full of books and still wearing his reading glasses, Makoto looked like the protagonist in a university/student-life romantic drama, chasing after a heroine, begging her not to leave him before she hopped on a plane to the other side of the world! (Or something.)

Eventually, Makoto made it to Haru’s apartment.

Pulling open the door to let his best friend in, Haru’s expression froze.

“Did you run here?... With those glasses on?... Looking like that?” he asked in a rush, grabbing Makoto’s bag for him and setting it down for him.

“Huh?” Makoto reached up to his face and touched his frames, his expression shifting to one of embarrassment, “You’re right! I can’t belive I completely forgot to take them off after class ended… It’s just that it's rare that you text me, let alone something that long, so I guess I just forgot in my rush to get here!”

Haru felt himself blush and hurriedly went back to the kitchen. Not only was Makoto’s explanation way too cute, and his excitement to visit Haru way too honest... and he looked damn hot with the lenses that he still hadn’t taken off.

“It’s fine… Just… Don’t… Forget them…” Haru mumbled, slowly plating his and Makoto’s dinner for the night.

“You’re right… And I look weird with them on anyways.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you enjoyed this chapter, please consider leaving me a kudos, bookmark, or subscription - or maybe even a comment. 
> 
> Aside - I actually only finished the third season of Free!! very recently, and was a little surprised by the direction they took it in. Wish we got more on the Iwatobi High newbies, the international swimmers, and Rin with a little less on Hiyori and Ikuya...
> 
> As always, take care until next time!


End file.
